For the second time in two weeks, a Detroit player released a statement apologizing for actions committed during the Lions game.

On November 25, it was Ndamukong Suh on Facebook for his actions against Green Bay; this week, normally mild-mannered tight end Brandon Pettigrew, who was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct after scuffling with a player during the New Orleans game on Sunday night, and making contact with an official.

"I want to sincerely apologize to my teammates, my coaches, the Lions organization, fans and the NFL for my actions during the game on Sunday," Pettigrew said in a statement issued by the team. "In the heat of competition, I allowed my emotions to get the best of me. I know better and my unintentional mistake cost my team.

"I've never acted this way before and it won't happen again. I am fully committed to helping the Detroit Lions win with class and in a manner that our fans will respect."

The incident occurred with 4:12 left in the game and Detroit facing second-and-10 from its own 36-yard line, trailing New Orleans by 14 points.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford threw a short pass to Pettigrew near the right sideline. It fell incomplete, but after getting tangled with Saints safety Roman Harper, an official got in between the two players and Pettigrew appeared to push the official's arm off of him.

Normally, touching an official would result in an automatic ejection, but he understood Pettigrew thought he was another player getting involved.

"The official on the sideline said, 'Hey look, I stepped in between two players and he didn't know that was me,'" Jim Schwartz explained at his weekly press conference on Monday. "That wasn't what got flagged. What got flagged was the fact that he was continuing an action after the snap."

Still, the Lions head coach wasn't going to excuse Pettigrew's decision to scuffle with Harper rather than get back to his offensive teammates.

"Again, in that situation, you're in a two minute," Schwartz said. "You can't afford anything like that. You need to get your butt back into the huddle and get the next play and not worry about getting the best of somebody that made a play."